The Demon's Quest Part I
Season 3 Episode 4 Robin returns home to Gotham University and sneaks into his dorm, only to find a group of people waiting for him. They hit him with a tranquilizer dart and he falls unconscious. The leader of the group, a man in a jackal mask, is pleased. Later, Batman returns to the Batcave and tells Alfred that Robin has been missing for two days and his searches have been fruitless. Alfred gives Bruce a message that arrived for him. Looking at it, Bruce is shocked to find that the message, although addressed to Bruce, has a note inside referring to him as Batman. The note is attached to a picture of Robin tied up. Just then, a mysterious man and his servant enter the Batcave, revealing that they know who he is. The man introduces himself as Rā's al Ghūl, and his servant Ubu. He tells Batman that Robin and his daughter Talia were abducted on the same night, and proposes an alliance. As they talk, Rā's begins coughing explosively, but waves off Batman's offer of help, saying he is simply very old. Based on the clues in the photograph, Batman deduces that they may be in Calcutta. As they start to exit the cave, Batman starts to walk past Rā's, but Ubu, overzealous, shoves him back, calling him "infidel!" Batman angrily does nothing, calling Ubu's reaction "strike one." On Rā's plane, Rā's explains that he deduced Batman's secret identity based on a worldwide survey of goods bought that could be used as equipment. After Talia saw him without his mask, her description was all that was necessary to confirm his idenitiy as Bruce Wayne. They make it to India and search for the mercenary cult supposedly responsible for the kidnappings. Ubu once again pushes Batman back so that Rā's may go first, to which Batman considers "strike two." The mercenaries attack and Batman easily defeats them. He interrogates one of the mercenaries and learns the children are now in Malaysia. While driving through a rain forest in Malaysia, Rā's goes on at length about humanity's destruction of the environment. Batman defends Wayne Enterprises' enviromental activity, but Rā's says that force is required, not just money. They make it to a temple and Batman runs inside only to find that it's a trap. The door is closed and a panther is released into the room. Batman and the panther fight for a moment, but its abilities are no match for Batman's skills and ingenuity. He tricks it into his cape and throws a knockout gas capsule. With the panther defeated, Rā's comes in and they find a map inside to a location in the Himalayas. Once again they head out, but this time Batman lets Rā's go first. Over the Himalayas, Batman prepares to parachute down while Ra's and Ubu wait on the helicopter. Ra's starts coughing again and Ubu makes mention of how they "must get him to one of the pits." No sooner has Batman jumped than a missle is launched that zooms past him and destroys the helicopter. Batman lands and confronts a team of armed thugs, but defeats them with ease. Batman finally finds Robin but is attacked by a group of thugs. They are no match for him, and Robin is freed. Just then, the torches light and the jackal-masked man comes in, applauding. Batman unmasks him, revealing. . . Rā's al Ghūl. Rā's asks how long Batman has been on to him. Batman replies, from the very beginning: the only way Rā's could have known Robin and Talia were kidnapped on the same night was if he hmself had done it. The thugs who attacked them always knew exactly where they were and when they'd be there. Finally, the one time Ubu didn't care that Batman walked ahead of Rā's was when he entered the temple to confront the panther, something beyond Rā's control. Declaring his interest at an end, Batman starts to leave with Robin. Ubu ties to force him to stay, but Batman overpowers him ("strike three"). Rā's applauds again, and explains that the whole ruse was a test: he needs a man to succeed him as ruler of his vast empire, and Batman has now proven his worthiness, and because Talia loves him. Though temporarily surprised, Batman still refuses much to Talia's disappointment. Rā's declares them to be enemies, but is overcome by a coughing fit and collapses to the floor. Talia says that he must be taken to the Lazarus Pit - a source of mysterious chemicles that have kept him alive for six hundred years. At her urging, Batman helps lower Rā's into the Pit, and it succeeds - too well. Rā's jumps out of the pit, with the speed and strength of a young man, but laughing maniacally. Talia tries to calm him, but he lifts her into the air and prepares to throw her into the Pit. . . The Demon's Quest Part II Category:DC Animated Universe Category:Batman : The Animated Series Category:Episodes written by comic book writers